10 Career-Making Wrestling Matches
How a ladder made Shawn Michaels a top guy in the business.
Every wrestler who goes on to become a legitimate main event level star needs those matches that define them on that path. That's simply a fact of life in the wrestling industry, performers must beat those higher on the totem pole than they before being perceived as credible headliners themselves.
This is a tried and tested way of doing things, and has shown itself to work time and time again. To use a modern example, would John Cena have gone on to become the household name he is today if he hadn't defeated JBL at WrestleMania 21? That was his first World Title win, and it helped launch his main event career.
It isn't always when winning a top title that wrestlers find their careers being made, this can also happen by simply having a sparkling match, or showing they can drag others to a superb bout. In other words, they can normally be traced as moments when those in charge realised the potential main event stars they had on their hands.
All of those aspects are featured in this article, one which aims to examine 10 different matches which could accurately be deemed career-making. They weren't necessarily the first great encounters these performers had, but they were vitally important steps on their way to future successes.
10. The Rock Vs. Triple H (WWF SummerSlam 1998)
The very first entry on this list is a unique one, because it marks the only match featured during which both men elevated themselves towards future main event status. Traditionally, the Intercontinental Title was viewed as a belt ideal to prepare people to make a step up the ladder of success.
Ironically, both The Rock and Triple H found that out to be true first hand in a Ladder Match. At the SummerSlam 1998 pay-per-view, both future WWE World Champions put together an absolute stunner. '98 was truly a breakout year for The Rock, who had strengthened throughout the previous 12 months into a bonafide star.
Similarly, Triple H had finally been able to glean reactions from WWF audiences due to his work as part of D-Generation X. At SummerSlam, everything clicked for both guys, and it's a match they must be intensely proud of. Following this Ladder contest, the only way for both - fittingly - was up.